The voters of Gwinnett County rejected a proposed contract between the county and Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in a March 19 special election.
The proposal would have allowed the execution of the "Connect Gwinnett Transit Plan" that called for the short-, mid- and two phases of long-term transit expansion in to the county. Had the referendum passed, a one-cent sales tax would have been levied in the county through 2057 to help pay for the expansion. Gwinnett County is one of Georgia's fastest growing counties.
"We respect the sentiments of the voters who exercised their constitutional right. Nonetheless, we remain optimistic about the future of transit in our region. MARTA will continue to serve the more than 400,000 riders who rely on our system every day. Looking forward, we will continue to work with our regional transit partners in finding transportation solutions for our ever-growing region. When Gwinnett County is ready, MARTA will be there," a MARTA spokesperson said in a statement sent via email.
The county has more than 543,000 registered voters. However, only 16.92 percent voted in the special election. Of the more than 91,000 votes cast, 54.32 percent (49,936) voted no, while 45.68 percent (41,985) voted yes.
Democratic Party of Georgia Chairwoman Nikema Williams said, “For the thousands of working families across Gwinnett who need public transit, today’s vote is hard fought and dearly lost. In spite of the deliberate decision to place this election in an off month and undermine voter turnout, we saw a bipartisan coalition come together for transit, volunteers hustling to get out the vote, and thousands of voters show up to say yes to MARTA. We’re disappointed in today’s results, but we’re not done. Thank you to the Gwinnett voters who took the time and braved the traffic to make their voices heard at the ballot box – we hear you, and we will keep fighting for the progress you deserve.”
